Prince Klemens Wenzel Nepomuk Lothar, von Metternich (1773-1859), was one of the
most influential and the most hated man of Europe in the nineteenth century.
Metternich, Napoleon and Bismarck jointly hold the most prominent position in
the history of European politics of their age. He also played key role in the
marriage of Napoleon with daughter of the Emperor Frances of Austria. Metternich
was born on May 15, 1773 in Coblenz, Germany. He hailed from an aristocratic
family and a son of Count Georg, Austrian envoy of the Court of Vienna at
Coblenz, and Maria Beatrix, née Countess von Kageneck.
Metternich went to study philosophy at the University of Strasburg and law and
diplomacy at Mainz. He started his professional career as a diplomat and was
designated as Austrian ambassador to the Court of Dresden in 1801. After two
year he was sent as ambassador to Berlin. Napoleon at that time, was at the
climax of his rule in France and his influence was recognized by the entire
Europe. Emperor Francis I of Austria selected Metternich as an ambassador to
France in 1806 as he needed the most capable of his men in Paris. His real
abilities were polished during his stay in Paris. There, Metternich came on
contact with a number of powerful and influential personalities associated both
with French court and elite of the society. The year 1809 saw the war between
Austria and France, as result of which, Metternich was imprisoned. He was later
on released in exchange for the detained French diplomats.
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After the war at Wagram, Austria faced great financial difficulties and was
reduced in its size. The fall of the Austrian empire was coupled with the rise
of Metternich. He was appointed first as a minister of state and then as
minister of the Imperial house and of foreign affairs. It was Metternich who led
Austria to regain its lost glory. For the next forty year he directed the
policies of Austria and his influences was the greatest amongst his contemporary
statesmen of Europe. On top of the list of his foreign policy was to establish
peaceful relations with France. Along with other steps, he acted as mediator in
arranging Napoleon’s marriage with Maria Louise, the daughter of the Austrian
Emperor in 1810. His policies in the later years designed the shape of politics
in the European continent. “After Napoleon's disastrous Russian campaign in
1812, Metternich played a leading role in the formation of a new European
coalition that two years later defeated the French emperor. At the Congress of
Vienna (1814-15), which redrew the map of Europe after Napoleon's downfall, he
blocked Russian plans for the annexation of the whole of Poland and Prussia's
attempt to absorb Saxony. He succeeded in creating a German Confederation under
Austrian leadership.” In 1821, Metternich was appointed to the office of
the state Chancellor. He introduced a system that become popular as “Metternich
system”. “The Metternich system depended upon political and religious
censorship, espionage, and the suppression of revolutionary and nationalist
movements”.
Although his policies are often considered as of reactionary and conservative
nature but they played important role in dealing with ethnic problems in the
Austrian empire. Since Austria was composed of multi-ethnic groups, it was deem
necessary by Metternich to restrict nationalism inside the empire as well as in
other countries of Europe. In Germany also, Metternich's policies helped keep
the German-speaking territories stable, but prevented the development of liberal
political reforms. The Metternich system came to an end after the revolutions of
1848. Although, Metternich was crowned as a Prince by emperor Francis in reward
for his great services to the empire but since he was not an Austrian by birth,
he was never permitted to control the internal affairs of Austria. He himself
admitted and regretted the fact that “he had governed all of Europe for a while,
but he had never governed Austria.”
German Policy
In the beginning of the 19th century, the German empire was an assortment of
numerous big and small states. After Napoleon’s defeat, the Congress of Vienna
was called in 1814-15. The Congress formed the German Confederation of
thirty-nine monarchical state and gave it under control of Austria. Metternich,
first as a minister of foreign affairs and afterwards as Chancellor, exercised
his policies in the German territory. His policy towards Germany was more
reactionary in character. “The personification of the European
counterrevolution, Metternich advocated the principle of aristocratic legitimacy
for the possession of titles and territories and represented conservatism,
order, and stability, which he opposed to social and political revolt.
Metternich's police organization suppressed both nationalism and liberalism. The
publicist Frederick von Gentz popularized Metternich's reactionary ideas and
assisted him in developing a system of political censorship that held Austria
and part of Germany in intellectual bondage until 1848.”
He issued the Carlsbad decrees in 1819 which required suppressing almost all
dissident thought within the German confederation. He also proposed the creation
of hereditary German imperial title. He assured the South German states of the
Confederation of the Rhine that if they went over to the allies they would not
be deprived of the position they had achieved on Napoleon's side. “This promise
alone showed that, while he was striving for a solution compatible with the
interests of all parties, he also wanted to gain the South German states as
allies against the Prussian-Russian designs of aggrandizement. After Napoleon's
defeat at Waterloo and abdication, Metternich rejected as unrealistic the
proposals of Baron Stein and others for the resuscitation of the Holy Roman
Empire. The first Treaty of Paris (May 30, 1814) stipulated nothing more for
Germany than a loose confederation of states.”
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Metternich, regardless of all his shortcomings, was exceptionally skilled in the
art of diplomacy. However, the style of governance he introduced was not very
much unlike the dictators of all times. He pursued strict policies and tried to
suppress the fundamental right of speech and association within the state. He
never cared about what people thought about him and used all his abilities to
achieve his goals. Visibly the state was strong but the weakening factors were
not eliminated. Like all tyrants he thought the policy of suppression to be the
cure of all illnesses. His suppression of nationalism was one of the most severe
mistakes he committed during his reign. In 1848, a wave of openness and
revolutionary thoughts overpowered European masses and widespread revolts rose
all over the continent. Austria also came under influence of these rapidly
spreading uprisings. Crowds of students and workers came out on the streets of
all major cities of Austria and demanded for Metternich’s dismissal. Under
pressure from the people and members of the royal family, Metternich resigned in
March of 1848.
END
NOTES
Prince Klemens Lothar Wenzel Von Metternich, http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/10245a.htm
Metternich, Prince Klemens Wenzel Nepomuk Lothar, von. Encarta Encyclopedia
2002. 1993-2001 Microsoft Corporation
Metternich, Clemens Wenzel Nepomuk Lothar, Fürst von, http://www.bartleby.com/65/me/Metterni.html
Back to Timeline 1800-1850. http://www.arts.uwaterloo.ca/GERM/g272/18001850.htm
East Germany, http://www.1upinfo.com/country-guide-study/germany-east/germany-east22.html
Prince, http://www.fortunecity.com/victorian/riley/787/Napoleon/Austria/Biografi/metternich.htm
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